Sunday 30th March 2014

Saturday.

The weekend. Sweet weekend. So, why was I awake at a quarter to six? Excitement? Possibly.

I get up, feed the cats and put on pot of coffee on, and soon the house is full of the percolating grinds. I mess around on the computer, Jools makes another pot of coffee and bakes a tray of croissants. A mixture of smells fills the house, whilst outside sunshine radiates warmly in the still of air of what can only be described as spring.



I laze around as today, it is a jolly boys outing consisting of: churches, a pub and two passes of a steam engine. Jools decided that she did not want to come along, so it was me and my two friends, Gary and Will. Will was arriving at 11 from Herne Bay and then I would pick up Gary. So, off I set having packed just about all my camera gear; just in case!

As Will was coming in on a slightly later train, i went to River to pick up Gary before heading down to Dover Priory to wait for Will. We headed out with the plan to go to Westbere to see Braunton go by for the first time. Thankfully I realised I had got the route wrong in my head and so changed the destination to Chartham where we could snap it at the level crossing, a perfect shot. And the change in plan meant we had time for a drink and a bite to eat at The Artichoke.



I got the drinks and three sandwiches, and we sat in the beer garden in the warm sunshine talking photography and drinking. We had enough time to take our positions at the station nearby ready for one o'clock when it was showtime. I just used the 6D with the 50mm and got some good results, but in hindsight I think I should have gone on the bridge as normal, but then it pays to try new things and shots on occasion.



We then headed back across east Kent, via Wingham and Preston, stopping at Stourmouth church before arriving at Minster with 90 minutes to spare. We looked inside St Mary's again as well as snapping the village some, before we once again took our positions on the station with half and hour to spare before Braunton was due to pass again. Anyway, you know the location by now, and why I go there as the steam locomotive slows down, changes road and takes the chord to Deal. Plenty of time for plenty of pictures, and lots of smoke from the loco.



So, we got our shots, and very good they were too in the late afternoon sunshine.

I We dropped Will of in Sturry so he could catch the bus, then headed back via Fordwich and wigham to drop Gary back off in River. By this time the football had ended and City had collapsed to a 3-0 defeat at Swansea, and played very badly indeed. I have long since given up on them, and we now have just 6 games to get to the 40 point mark, and the last four of those games are against Arsenal, Man Utd, Arsenal and liverpool. Sigh.



at least I have the photos of the day and the great time with my friends.